KALISPELL — Mary Peterson told MTN News that she and her family were out of town on vacation when Mary's husband received a notification from their security system around 1 a.m.
"We saw the girl and the boy, and the boy was up at the top of the stairs, and he got the package. He actually took the top one, there was actually another one that he didn't take. I don't know why he didn't take that one. And then he handed it to the girl," said Peterson.
The unknown subjects stole light bulb packages from the Peterson's front porch. Peterson said the incident left her feeling frustrated and angry.
She never thought something like this could happen in sleepy Whitefish, "I guess we always felt like it was kinda a safer neighborhood, and we didn't really think that would happen here," explained Peterson.
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino says package theft rises during the fall and the holidays for a variety of reasons. People are ordering more gifts and packages for the holidays and people steal packages to flip them for money. He also has suggestions for those wanting to keep their packages safe.
"Having a good neighborhood plan. So, when one neighbor is next door, they understand who should be there, shouldn't be there, what cars fit in," said Sheriff Heino.
Kalispell resident Desiree Dickman might just be that perfect neighborhood solution -- she offers a package sitting service. Dickman told MTN News her husband has over thirty years experience with the mail service.
"I just thought with so many people working or out of town that maybe they could just have their packages delivered to me and they could come pick them up," said Dickman.
Dickman says packages are kept in a safe secure location and all you need is an ID to pick them up. If you're interested in contacting Dickman to package sit for you please contact her through her Facebook account.
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